Viktor Sergeevich Katkov (1940–2015) was a painter, graphic artist, and master of stained glass and ceramics. He graduated from the Ivanovo Art School in 1967. He participated in regional, zonal, national, international, group and personal exhibitions. His works can be found in the collection of the Kostroma Museum-Reserve and in private collections.

Viktor Katkov started as a painter and worked a lot from nature. During his study-trips to Bui, Makaryev and Susanino, he painted many landscapes. There, the concept of life in the village captivated his imagination with its simplicity and serenity.

He was in a rush to preserve the memory of all the things peasants throughout the ages could not do without. Behind the practical application of such items, the artist saw their inner beauty. To him, the withering root culture has become an important component of the Russian world.

Katkov took part in many expeditions held by the museum-reserve staff to study and collect works of folk art. He made many sketches and copies of murals in huts. Having mastered the techniques of decorative painting, he created his own designs based on the finds. He used them to decorate the interiors of cafes and canteens as well as to make souvenirs.

Viktor Katkov left a diverse legacy as a graphic artist. As a master draftsman, he always considered drawing to be the foundation of artistic perception. His swift and precise linework and expressive pencil strokes were the hallmark of his works and at the same time the objects of his life-long pursuit.

Apart from painting and graphics, Katkov dedicated his talent to other kinds of art. He was the first person in Kostroma to start making stained glass windows for interior decoration of public buildings. This typically Western art became a point of exploration for the master-artist.

In “Shining Light. Triptych”, the artist used colored sheet and fused glass outlined by lead tie-wires. The age-old techniques used for creating stained glass have remained virtually unchanged to this day. Viktor Katkov always showed interest in experimenting with this material, changing its texture, transparency, and enhancing the relief by injecting different colors.